NeverEnding Story
by Sakura-chan79
Summary: Much as he loved the company, Soren wasn’t sure just how well this journey was going to work. Nevertheless, for him, Soren would go anywhere and do anything. SorenIke
1. The Little Mage

**Author's Note: **This is a revised edition of _Fire Emblem: Chosen Path. _I never finished that one but now that I look back, I can't stand it so I've decided to rewrite it. In the midst of waiting for _Radiant Dawn _to be released and have a copy in my hands, the only way to satisfy my pathetic fangirl desires is to read and write fanfiction. Therefore, this new and revised version of _Chosen Path _was born. I hope you enjoy it.

Updates will be slow. I am in the middle of school with more work than I can handle (I really should be doing some homework right now actually) and I also try to make time for my friends. Plus, I'm writing far too many stories at once and I fall into writer's block's very easily (so if you have any ideas as you read, throw them out there; I always need ideas).

**Summary: **Much as he loved the company, Soren wasn't sure just how well this journey was going to work. Nevertheless, for him, Soren would go anywhere and do anything. (SorenIke)

**Disclaimer: **I'll say this once and once only; I own nothing related to Fire Emblem.

* * *

Spending time in Melior's Royal Archives was a favourite pastime of mine. It was exceedingly large and contained books on every possible subject; I was at a loss to understand how someone could be bored in such a wondrous place. I loved to wander through the aisles like a black-clad ghost and slowly run my fingers down the spines of old books that were nearly forgotten by the librarians themselves. 

I especially enjoyed going early in the morning when only the librarians (still half asleep) were there. The utter silence of the place was calming to me; I grew steadily more irritable throughout the day as others came and went. They were too loud as they walked or they managed to knock over stacks of books; they spoke in whispers that barely qualified as such and glanced at me with curiosity and sometimes animosity. I ignored these people as best I could. I spoke only when it was absolutely necessary; most people learned to keep their distance from me.

My favourite haunt in this place was a small table in a corner on the second floor of the building. There was a window right beside it so that I could see down into the square below when I raised my eyes from my work. I usually piled seven or eight musty books around me but I took great care to make sure they did not block the light from the window.

When I was studying like this, I only vaguely registered the passing of the hours; I ate nothing all day. Even after I left the Archives I did not usually go find something to eat right away; I was still far too engrossed in what I had discovered to be bothered with something as mundane as sustenance. By the time I returned to the mercenary company I was currently training with night had fallen and I had no choice but to pick at what was leftover from supper.

That mercenary company was another reason I loved spending so much time in the Royal Archives. It wasn't so much that I hated them but because they did not reach the standards I had unknowingly set. I was with them to train with their mages only; I was not an actual member of their group. I came from a much more sophisticated and dignified company; it was to them that I compared this mercenary company and considered it to be second-rate.

I longed to return to the Greil Mercenaries as quickly as possible. I wanted my training to come to a close so I could return to them. I had the basics down perfectly; it could take many more months to learn the more advanced spells and surely I could do so on my own. Nevertheless, I remained because I knew Commander Greil would not be happy if I left halfway through my training without a very good reason.

So there I sat one afternoon in my usual corner of Melior's Royal Archives. The setting sun shone in through the window and I knew I still had a good half-hour left before it would be too dark to continue my research. That day, I had been rather distracted and had taken to staring out the window without actually seeing anything beyond it. I was overcome with a profound sense of homesickness. I wanted desperately to return to the Greil Mercenaries, the place that was my home.

I cannot understand _why _I felt so homesick that day; there was nothing special about it. I'd been gone for over a year already without a visit (and only receiving the occasional letter asking after my health and studies) and it was long past the first anniversary of my departure from them. It was just another day of the year, just another day…

A great tremor rocked the very foundations of the Archives then and threw me right out of my reverie. A shrill shriek from somewhere beyond the building shattered the window beside me into a thousand pieces of sharp glass; I found myself on the floor then surrounded by glass and fallen books. Another shriek invaded my ears and I clamped my hands over them in an effort to keep my eardrums intact.

I forced myself to get up though (it would do no good to remain on the floor) and rushed to the window. I saw wave after wave of black-clad soldiers marching through the square below and dozens upon dozens of wyvern riders circling the city. Each banner man proudly carried the Daein standard which was easily visible to me from my vantage point. A cold pit formed in my stomach and then turned to hot rage.

These invaders came with no warning, no official declaration of war. They walked through the capital as though they owned it. The screams of innocent citizens seemed to pierce my soul more than my ears. But I could not stay in the Archives; soldiers had stormed in already and were cutting down people where they stood. The blood of scholars stained the floor, the pristine white pages of musty old books.

The book I had been studying not so long ago was a Wind tome. It still sat on the table---covered in glass---but as the soldiers rushed up the stairs to spill my blood, I grabbed it and jumped out the window. A cloth awning was set up below my window and I knew it would hold my weight without breaking.

My heart thudded fearfully in my chest as I plummeted helplessly through the air and landed in the comforting yellow fabric. The soldiers above shouted profanely at me from the window but they dared not jump as well. I didn't spare them a glace as I slid off the awning and landed on the stone ground. Innocent people lay slain all around me, their blood staining the streets red just as the scholar's blood in the library stained the floors.

I had no time to waste though. I kept a good hold on my stolen Wind tome and made a run for it through the back alleys of the city that I knew so well. I came across no soldiers as I raced past empty boxes and old doors; those Daein bastards didn't know the back ways of Melior as a true Crimean would. I ran as fast as my legs would carry me and I didn't stop for anything. Right then, it was imperative that I escape Melior before the gates were shut.

In my mind, this was a sound plan with nothing to hinder it. That was until I heard the shrill scream of a frightened young girl. Almost against my will, I turned my head to the right. The child couldn't have been more than four or five years old; she clung to the body of an old man (presumably her grandfather) as though he were an anchor to life with that leering soldier standing over her. I turned my face away, willing myself to continue my escape. She cried out again in terror and I knew I could not leave her there.

I spun on my heel and changed my course towards them. The soldier raised his lance but I was faster; I opened my Wind tome to the most basic spell and sliced the man into pieces. The girl was too shocked even to scream now as the soldier crumpled into a bloody mass at her feet. "Get out of here!" I shouted at her.

"B-but…" she said tearfully, "Grandpa is…Grandpa is…"

"Get going!" I said again, "You'll end up the same way if you don't get out of here now. Go and hide somewhere and be quiet so that they don't find you! Hurry now!"

I had wasted too much time; I didn't wait any longer to see if she was going to follow my instructions or just sit there with the two dead men. I had to escape with my life; that was my first priority. My second…what was my second priority? I could return to the mercenary company but they were situated very closely to Melior; no doubt it would be nigh impossible to return their unnoticed by the enemy. For all I knew, the enemy had already arrived there.

There was only one course of action; I had to return to the Greil Mercenaries. They were several days away from Melior and the Daein army would be nowhere near them yet. They first had to consolidate their hold on Melior before reaching out to the rest of the nation. It would be a dangerous journey until I was out of the range of Melior, but it was a risk I had to take. Strangely, I was not the least bit unhappy about this arrangement; I was quite happy to be on my way home again, even if it was with bad news and an army at my back.

The gates loomed ahead of me; I seemed to run faster than before in my efforts to reach them. And then suddenly, I was out. I was no longer in the city. Instead, I had stumbled into a battle; Crimea against Daein. I thought I saw Lord Renning in the fray one quick moment, but if it was him we was gone in an instant among the swirling colours of Daein and Crimea. I stood frozen for a moment before logic takes over; I couldn't remain there where I would be seen and attacked as an enemy. I make a break for the trees to my right and allow the darkness to hide me among the leaves.

No one saw me—a miracle in itself—but that didn't mean no one would. I hurry through the trees as quickly as I can without drawing attention to myself. The battle cries of the warriors echoed in my head as I ran; I did everything I could to tune them out. Naturally though, seeing as I was trying to keep myself from being noticed and running without watching where I was going, it wasn't long before I managed to trip over a tree root. The resulting thud drew the attention of two nearby Daein soldiers.

My Wind tome had fallen a few paces away from me. I stumbled toward it and ended up dodging away from an axe aimed to sever my neck and a lance that meant to skewer my heart. I had no time to utter even a few words of my spell before the two of them attacked again. I rolled away and tried to get up; I only managed to trip over my own robes and fall flat on my face again. Desperately, I held up my tome to ward off their blows; this was not a very effective defence but it was all I had. I kicked the one with the lance so that he stumbled to his knees and then forced myself to stand up. My legs were shaky but I had no time to dwell on that; I opened my book again and uttered my spell as quickly as I could while the axe man advanced on me.

Small but lethal gusts of wind tore the man's clothes and cut deeply into his skin. He dropped his axe on his foot and fell to his knees. I summoned more wind and it tore at the one with the lance. The two of them were bleeding so badly that they wouldn't last much longer. I had no time to linger and finish them off; I knew they could not follow me. I turned and ran away as quickly as I could. My black cloak flared out behind me and I melted into the darkness.

* * *

Several hours passed as I made my way through the tree-line. I passed only a few more bands of soldiers---all of whom were engaged in battle with Crimea---and was not noticed. I made my way towards an unremarkable and not-so-heavily-used path called Capital Way. It would take me to a crossroads at which point I would take a left turn and arrive back at my home by the end of the day. 

Night had long since fallen but I didn't dare stop. I couldn't risk being found; sometimes it was necessary to takes risks but right then wasn't the time. So I fled through the trees lining Capital Way until my legs could run no longer. I continued a steady walk until it was nearly dawn. I possessed more stamina than many other people I knew but even I was exhausted now. My vision was blurred from lack of food and lack of rest; I could not keep going.

Completely and utterly exhausted, I fell to my knees amid the bushes and panted for air. My heart was beating at an unnaturally quick rate. My hands were shaky and I suddenly found myself lying on my side unable to summon the strength to move. My lungs were still screaming for air as though I had been swimming underwater all night and only now had come up for air. I hardly ever felt this helpless since Commander Greil had taken me in.

Against my will, my eyelids began to close. It would be dangerous to sleep; I could not allow myself to sleep until I had reached the safety of the fort. Closing my eyes for a moment couldn't hurt. Just for a moment…

* * *

_My breathing comes in haggard gasps. So much of my energy is gone, but I refuse to fall. But, looking around, I can see there are no more enemies. No one hides behind the stone columns. The enemy spell casters have been eradicated. None survived our attack, just as I had planned. _

_A dark entranceway looms ahead of us now. A grim mood has fallen over us. Who is beyond it? What dangers lay ahead? I shift my tome under my arm, ready to advance. A strong arm holds me back though as someone ahead of me moves. Someone speaks in my ear, but I can't hear what they say. I struggle to follow the shadowed figure, but I cannot. _

_I stare at the dark entrance. I can hear screams of pain, brutal clashing of weapons. And I am not there to help, not there to even witness the battle. Whoever it is…they're dying. There isn't anything I can do either. The ground suddenly heaves and moves with a life of its own. The columns begin to crack and it becomes apparent that the building is going to collapse. Shadowed people spring past me the opposite way, away from the door. I don't want to move. I want to go the other way, help the unknown figure. But I too am pulled away. The stone pillars fall, and the dust rises.

* * *

_

The clash of weapons woke me from my sleep. From the way the sun filtered in through the canopy of leaves, I could tell it was nearly noon. I could hear the thundering of horse's hooves coming ever closer. Hastily, I sprung up and dusted the grass off of my robes. No one was nearby yet, but no doubt they soon would be.

I did not run during this part of my journey; rather, I kept up a steady jog. I was still tired from my escape yesterday which was only to be expected; I traveled an immense distance in such a short span of time. Normally, it was something closer to a three day journey from our fort to Melior and vice versa; I would be home in less the time. If all went well, I would be home before the evening meal.

It took me almost two hours to reach the crossroads and by that time the trees had thinned out too much to grant me any more cover. My only comfort was that I could no longer hear horses following me; perhaps they had been caught in a skirmish of sorts. Whatever the case, it did not matter to me. My goal was to reach the fort in one piece to relay my news. Nothing else mattered to me.

As I made my way up the long path through the hills leading to our fort, I felt a wonderful sense of home overwhelm me. My loneliness, my homesickness, was no more. I was finally home and it was such a wonderful feeling. I looked forward to seeing my friends (and my enemies) again. I looked forward to having a seat at the table in the mess hall again and my very own study again. I looked forward to it all.

The fort was just as I remembered it; impeccably green lawns and quaint stone buildings with sturdy roofs. The horses whickered to me as I passed; I recognized Caer and Petra right away and whistled a greeting back. I did not care much for riding horses but that did not mean that I did not like them. These two were especially gentle with the exception of during battle.

There wasn't anyone out on the lawns except for a young girl in a gaudy yellow dress. She didn't see me at first, until I was nearly towering over her small form. She jumped like a frightened rabbit and squeaked too. But her mouth split into a wide smile and she greeted me warmly. "Soren! You're back way sooner than we expected! It's so good to see you again! What's with this sudden visit?"

"I must speak with the Commander," I inform her curtly. "Where might I find him?"

"Father?" she paused. "In the mess hall I think. But he's meeting with Titania right now. It probably isn't a good time to disturb him."

"I'll bear that in mind," I assured her. I brushed past Mist without any hesitation in my step; I didn't care if Commander Greil was meeting with the Lord Renning himself. My news could not wait.

"Soren, wait!" Mist cried desperately. "It's really not a smart idea to--!"

I ignored her protests and pushed open the door to the mess hall.

* * *

The end seems a bit rushed but I'm sure you'll survive. See you next chapter! 


	2. The Little Commander

When I threw open the door to the mess hall without so much as knocking, Commander Greil and Titania abruptly cut off their conversation and stared at me wide-eyed. In hindsight, this is probably only to be expected; I probably looked like I'd been caught in a tornado or some such natural disaster. My hair was knotted and full of twigs and leaves; my robes were covered in mud and my expression probably resembled that of someone who had just been unjustly harassed.

"Soren?" Titania gasped, "Is that you…?"

"It's me," I mumbled.

"What happened? You look awful!" she paused, "But more importantly what are you _doing _here? Aren't you supposed to be training away from us for a while longer still?"

"There's been a change of plans," I said shortly, "I doubt I'll be returning." I refrained from adding just how happy that particular prospect made me; I was finally home and it felt absolutely wonderful (even if being home meant that I had to relay some less than pleasing news).

"What caused this sudden change of plans?" the Commander asked sharply. He didn't mention my state of apparel but no doubt it was on his mind.

"We are at war," I said bluntly. "It only just happened. I came as quickly as I could."

Commander Greil didn't say anything at first but Titania lost no time in gasping. "War?" she cried, "As in war with Daein? Full-out-no-question-about-it war?"

"That's right," I said more calmly than I felt. "We are at war with Daein."

"Did you manage to get any more news?" the Commander asked.

"A little," I said. "Perhaps everyone should this at the same time?"

"Yes," he nodded, "Titania, tell everyone to get themselves to the briefing room immediately. We have no time to waste." Titania nodded quickly and was gone even before he finished speaking. "You did well to get this information to us so quickly Soren."

"It was not a problem."

I heard the door open again. "What's going on?"

"You'll hear all about it in the briefing in room. Get going Ike." Commander Greil said coolly to his son as he left the room. Ike sighed loudly and then turned to me.

"Long time, no see Soren," he said. "Welcome back."

"It is very good to be back." I looked him up and down. "So, you're part of the company now? Not a trainee anymore?"

"That's right," he rolled his eyes. "But I might as well be. I'm restricted to my room for ten days. But then again so is just about everyone else…"

"What happened?" I shook my head. "No, that can wait. We'll exchange our stories later. We better get going before the Commander gets angry."

Ike nodded and I saw him visibly bite back a smile at my disorganized outfit. Now was not the time to worry about mundane things like my appearance though. I swept out of the room ahead of Ike with as much dignity as I could muster while absently brushing some leaves out of my tangled hair. It felt so good to be home and walking with friends again. It had been so long since I had felt this content with my lot in life.

* * *

The briefing room was small and it felt even more so with everyone packed in there to listen to me. Most of the company gave me a 'welcome back' smile which I returned gratefully. I made sure to glare scornfully at Shinon though. Commander Greil did not seem to notice much of this though. "You all remember, I'm sure, that Soren has been training with another mercenary company for the past year or so---" everyone nodded, "---well, he's back now. He has brought with him some disturbing news." The Commander nodded at me.

"Crimea and Daein have gone to war." There were only a few murmurs among the assembled mercenaries. I paused before continuing with my account. "I was in Melior when Daein troops attacked; I myself was pursued by several soldiers and witnessed the bloody battle that was already taking place just outside the walls."

"That's horrible…" Mist said softly, her eyes wide.

"It is very horrible," I agreed, "But true nonetheless. The soldiers in black armor were carrying the Daein standard; there can be no doubt that it was indeed them. Many innocent civilians were caught in the middle of the invasion and very few people were able to escape before the city fell." I paused and remembered the little girl who lost her grandfather to those soldiers. "I did escape and barely managed to avoid being caught by the troops battling outside the city."

"So Lord Renning deployed the army to meet the attack?" the Commander asked sharply.

"He did. I do not think things are going well though."

"Why do you say that?"

"The Crimean army is outnumbered and demoralized. We were not expecting an invasion from Daein—after all, we've only ever had boarder skirmishes with them---and therefore we were not prepared for one. The army is not up to the task of fighting back this invasion force."

"Nonsense," Titania declared. "Lord Renning is both powerful and a motivational speaker; he'll have the army roused from its slumber in no time. With him heading the army there is no way that we can lose."

"I hate to have to correct you," I said sharply, "But that is most certainly not the case. While Lord Renning is indeed both powerful and motivational even _he _did not expect an attack. No doubt every single general under his command knows this as well and that will affect the troops and their already low morale. Lord Renning may be able to rouse the army but with this surprise attack he will be unable to raise their morale in time to make a difference. The outcome," I added, "Is painfully obvious."

Titania bristled when I said that. "Do you have no faith in the Royal Crimean Knights?" she demanded, "No faith in Lord Renning, in the royal army? Surely even you realize that he will never relinquish hold of Crimea to Daein!"

"Lord Renning is one man!" I snapped, "Everything rests on his shoulders! Defending the capital, defending the royal court, defending the _country! _There is too much that Lord Renning has to do! He can't possible do all of that _and_ raise the morale of the army _and _push the Daein army out of the country. We will lose this war simply because we had no chance to win in the first place!"

Titania's face coloured but I ignored it. What I said was the truth: Crimea simply could not win this war. Commander Greil slammed his fist down on the table. Titania's attention snapped back to him in an instant although I slowly swept my eyes back to him. "That is enough," he said quietly. His voice was low and firm; he brooked no nonsense. "Soren is absolutely right," he said to Titania and I couldn't help but smirk. "But that is all the more reason to decide whether or not we ought to aid the army." My smirk melted away as quickly as it had come.

"We must help them!" Titania said instantly. "This is our homeland; we have no where else to go. Also, if we help them win this war then we'll be well paid and the nobility will continue to supply us with lucrative jobs."

"Thank you, Titania," Commander Greil said politely. "And what do you say Soren?"

"We are mercenaries," I said at once, "We serve for gain; I see no gain in dying for a lost cause. We can get jobs anywhere; the conquering army will not be disinclined to supply them either."

"You would have us abandon Crimea? The land that has been our home?" Titania looked as though she might lose all of her self-control at any moment; I noticed that her hand was twitching as though she really wanted to slap me across the face.

"I have no wish to throw away my life fighting for a lost cause," I said firmly. "Crimea is my home as much as anyone else's but that doesn't mean I'm willing to die for it in a lost cause. My life is more important to me than what monarchy I'm living under."

Titania was so angered by my responses at this point that Commander Greil had to physically restrain her from advancing on me to give me a piece of her mind. I, on the other hand, felt quite at ease. "Seeing as reaching a decision right now is unlikely at best right now," the Commander said dryly, "We will adjourn for now. I will be sending out a scouting party shortly to see how the battle at the capital fares. We will make our decision based on that. Questions?"

There were none and so we were dismissed while the Commander continued to hold Titania back. Ike caught up with me as we left the briefing room. "That was some story you had there Soren," he commented. "I can't believe Daein would do such a thing."

"Nor I," I replied. "But they have. All we can do is decide what to do next."

"Quite," Ike agreed. He paused. "I don't like to think that Crimea will be overthrown though."

"Nor do I," I said, "I didn't mean to sound like I wished for Crimea's destruction; it has been a good place to me. I just don't want to die in a war that Crimea cannot possibly win."

"Don't worry Soren. I understand you perfectly. The others may not but…I do. You're my best friend," Ike smiled. "So don't worry about it Soren. I don't want to die in war we can't win either. I want to save Crimea but…I can't do that if I'm dead, right?"

I nodded. "That's true. I'm glad you can see where I'm coming from."

He opened his mouth to say something else but the sudden appearance of the Commander forestalled him. "Boys," he said firmly, "I want you two to go on a scouting mission to the capital. See what you can see and report back here as soon as possible. Oscar, Shinon, Gatrie, Rhys and Titania will accompany you. Ike, you are in command of the operation. Titania will be your deputy. Soren, no more quarrelling with Titania…or Shinon for that matter. You are the tactician; I expect you to be on your best behavior."

"Yes sir," I muttered.

"I'm in command? But why me father?" Ike sounded suddenly very young and very inexperienced. "I'm not ready to lead something like this!"

"You're as ready as you'll ever be," Commander Greil said calmly. "You'll never get any experience if you don't get out there and take control of these missions. You're in charge Ike; get used to it. I want your team out of here in five minutes."

As the Commander walked away I glanced at Ike. He looked wary and nervous. "Don't worry Ike," I said reassuringly. "You'll be fine. We're all in this together. If everything goes well we won't have to worry about any skirmishes."

"I hope you're right Soren."

* * *

We reached Capital Way in due time and had so far encountered no enemies along the way. Rhys said it was probably because Daein had not yet been able to extend their control past the capital yet. Once that was secured news of the war (and its outcome) would spread throughout the rest of the country. This was a grim prospect and our little group was already grim as it was—the result was that very little in the way of conversation ensued.

Despite being in command of this particular mission Ike trailed at the back of the party and often fell several paces behind them. The fact that _he _was in charge after just graduating from trainee status had unsettled him greatly. I had developed a sort of talent for reading people's faces like open books and it was no challenge to read Ike's: he was plainly nervous about the whole thing and a little under-confident in himself.

I wanted to encourage him a little more but before I had the chance Oscar called our attention to the scene ahead of us. There were many corpses on the ground effectively obstructing the path forward. "What happened here?" Ike demanded. His face was pale—a sign of nerves, I thought---but his voice was firm and in control. He strode forwards and I noticed him loosen his new sword in it's sheathe.

"Looks like there has been a battle not too long ago," Gatrie said placidly. "A lot of the dead seem to be Daein soldiers."

"Then Crimea has the upper hand?" Ike sounded suddenly relieved.

"Just the opposite, I think," I said darkly. I indicated a fallen Crimean soldier. "There may be few Crimean dead here but look closely at their armor. It is much more ornate than any other soldier's armor. All of them are wearing a special seal too which shows them to be a part of the Imperial Guard." I paused for effect. "That means that when the Daein soldiers attacked them someone from the royal family---or an influential member of the court---was on the move at the time."

"The Imperial Guard is well trained and comprised of the most spectacular soldiers---and those who will no doubt become spectacular," Titania added neutrally. She carefully avoided my gaze and addressed only Ike. "With their superior fighting skills they could easily defeat average Daein soldiers. But if they were outnumbered many were probably taken captive. And if someone influential _was_ on the move they are either dead or prisoner as well which is as good as being dead anyway."

Ike looked crestfallen at this news. He nodded stiffly and trudged away with his head hung slightly. If he had more confidence in himself he would no doubt make a fine leader---as good as Commander Greil and perhaps even better with time. He stopped a few paces away. "Investigate the area for survivors or other Daein patrols," he ordered us, "Once we are sure the area is secure, we will continue with the mission."

There was a muttered "yes sir!" from a few of us and feeble salutes while Shinon said and did nothing at all to acknowledge this order; he merely went off to do as he was bidden. I paused and considered trying to bring Ike's confidence in his leadership and then decided against it; I was not in a much better mood and would only serve to worsen his. So instead I made my way to a clump of bushes to examine the dead bodies of two Daein soldiers and a Crimean one.

From the way they had fallen, I assumed it has been a two-on-one battle that the Crimean (a middle aged man with a rough brown beard) had won but had been stabbed in the back by another soldier. There was a deep cut through the back of his armor with crusted blood and he was sprawled overtop of his two enemies. I suspected there had been no archers with the Daein's as I continued my search; only Daein soldier's had arrows sticking out of them which were of Crimean craftsmanship. Indeed it had been a vicious and bloody battle.

"Daein soldiers are moving in on our position!"

Gatrie's cry of warning startled me back to reality and suddenly analyzing what had happened during the last battle here became insignificant. I could see a troop of soldiers approaching us from the direction of Melior. I didn't waste any more time and instead hurried over to regroup with my comrades.

Ike's face was a bit pale. It was plain that he wanted to avoid a battle but at the moment could see no way to make that happen. Daein was not known for its generosity and its army did not look kindly upon retreat under any circumstances; they frowned upon avoiding battles even more, or so it was said.

"Put down your weapons, wretched Crimean's!" the leader of the Daein fools called loudly. "Put them down and your lives will be spared!"

"We are not your---!"

"Silence! Lay down your weapons!" the commander demanded again, "You will not be asked again. You will be eradicated if you continue to defy Daein's rule!"

To me, that was as good as going to Melior and seeing with our own eyes that Daein had won. I knew they would and this man confirmed it. I chanced a glance at Titania; her face was as pale as Ike's but there was rage in her eyes where there was something akin to despair in Ike's.

"Listen, we aren't with the army! We don't wish to fight you!" Shinon shouted across the way. While this was true the enemy commander chose to ignore this and instead ordered his men to attack us for not complying with his demands. In my opinion, Daein soldiers have always been far too bloodthirsty for their own good.

"We have no choice but to fight now," I said briskly to Ike. "We need a plan."

"A plan?" he seemed a bit shaken and tried to hide it behind a cool and composed face. "Right, a plan…Umm…"

"Hurry up boy!" Shinon hissed. "We don't have all night!"

Ike glared at Shinon but refrained from rebuking him. "We must defend Soren and Rhys," he said at last. "Soren can attack from behind our defenses and Rhys can't be allowed to fall prey to attack."

"Good plan," Titania approved.

"One thing," I said pointedly. "The first battle here…the Daein's did not have archers; the Crimean's did. This time I can see several archers on their side. We must be extra careful since Rhys and myself are not properly outfitted to survive arrow attacks. They must take priority over the other enemies to ensure our survival…or at least, ensure we have a higher chance of survival."

Ike nodded. "Good point Soren. All right, Shinon and I will be on the left flank, Titania and Oscar on the right and Gatrie will be our spearhead. Rhys, Soren, stay behind us but beware of all enemies! I don't want any casualties! Everyone, move out!"

We took up our assigned positions without any more hassle. However, it soon became apparent that these soldiers were really no better than their fellows who had fallen in this very place not so long ago. Our little company was not only trained better in many ways but we were also infinitely more talented. We were able to work as a team like we never had before; my wind saved Shinon more than once while Oscar's lance defended Rhys and myself without fail.

The star of the battle was Ike though. Despite his earlier self-consciousness and his uncertainly in regards to his ability to lead our party he was by far the superior warrior on the field. He suffered few injuries and even if Rhys hadn't healed him with his staff they would have healed just as well on their own. Ike's blade flashed in the setting sun and gleamed with blood of fallen enemies; his face was slick with sweat yet he was utterly composed and completely focused on his mission. It was as though he were a different person, someone completely unlike the Ike had known up to this point.

No one stood a chance against Ike. He was our Little Commander, the star of our company, the one all the Daein's quickly realized they ought to avoid. Yet somehow they continued to fall before him. I stood in awe of his strength and his talent with his blade. I suddenly felt rather weak. I suddenly wondered if in battle I would ever equal him. While we studied disciplines as different as the sun and the moon I still wondered if one day I would be a force to be reckoned with as he was. Mages are fragile creatures; their bodies are much frailer since they do not fight battles with my physical energy; it is entirely spiritual and draining on their energy. We do not develop hardened muscles from summoning elemental spirits to do our bidding; we develop a strong connection to the spirit realms, to the emotional and spiritual sides of ourselves and the world around us. There have been mages (and sages) however who were so powerful that they were on par with an ultimate swordsman.

Ike was clearly well on his way to becoming an ultimate swordsman whether he realized it or not. I wondered if I would ever be as good as he was with my own skills. I suddenly realized that I _did _want to be that good, that I _did _want to be that powerful. I didn't want to always rely on someone to defend me. I recalled stories of sages who were so powerful that enemies rarely hit them and the few times that they did it hardly mattered; the sage was too powerful for it to damage him very much and his own power was so strong that the enemy could hardly hope to survive against him.

As I struck out at a soldier (the last one on the battlefield seeing as Ike had defeated the commander and the rest of the soldiers had fled upon seeing that happen) I realized that that is what I wanted to be. I decided right then and there that I would not only aspire to reach that level of power but surpass it. I would not just be a powerful sage but one day I would be an Arch Sage, the elite of the elite in the world of magery.

"Are you all right, Soren?"

I blinked my eyes and brought my wandering thoughts back to reality. Ike and Oscar were staring at me intently with worried looks. "I'm fine," I replied in a dazed sort of voice (which was most unlike me). They did not look convinced.

"You were gazing out into space," Oscar said. He sounded very much like a protective older brother. I supposed that came from being the oldest of three brothers. "You fought like a…like a…." he seemed at a loss for words and Ike didn't seem to be able to supply the right noun either so he kept silent. I shrugged their concern off.

"I'm fine," I said firmly. "I was just thinking."

Again I failed to convince either one that I was indeed fine but it hardly mattered; Rhys took that moment to interrupt their worrying over my health. "Ike! Oscar!" he panted slightly, "There's an unconscious woman in the bushes over there! I think she's been here since the last battle…"

"Really?" Ike turned his attention to Rhys for the moment but I suspected he wasn't finished with me. "Could she be the one the Imperial Knights were guarding?"

"It is possible," Rhys said, "But we can't be sure unless we can get her to talk. However she's running a high fever and while she is unconscious at the moment I think she might be going in and out of consciousness. We can't leave her here; we must take her back to the fort at once!"

"Indeed. We can't leave a helpless and sick woman alone here! Oscar, can you take her back? We can finish the mission ourselves, I'm sure." Ike looked at Oscar expectantly but I chose this point to intervene.

"It won't be necessary to split up," I said, "We already know how the tides of battle went." Ike looked confused so I elaborated. "Daein won and has taken over Melior. They are now going to expand their control beyond the capital. The commander we defeated implied that and there is no reason to doubt his word; there are no Crimean's anywhere pursing him and they couldn't be spared from battle if Daein had not won. Therefore, we know Daein is in control now. It would be the height of folly to go there now."

"It's true Ike," Oscar agreed. "It will be safer to return to the fort immediately. We don't want to risk being taken prisoner by the Daein army occupying Melior simply for carrying weaponry and being Crimean. Word of our victory here will spread quickly in the capital thanks to those who escaped. We should leave here before reinforcements come and we are forced into another battle---one might not be able to win."

Ike nodded with understanding. "Very well. We return to the fort then."

* * *

Well, here is the second chapter (finally). It's Christmas break right now but I doubt I'll update again during this time. I have lots of plans (for once) and work to do for the end of my courses. AND I still have to beat Radiant Dawn. I'm at the very end fighting the very last boss and it's difficult. I wasn't thinking properly when I chose my final team so they're sort of crappy and several keep dying. So it might take me a while to beat it. Ah well, wish me luck!

Merry Christmas everyone! My gift to you is the vision of a Soren plushie who is scowling and wearing a Santa hat (because I think that's adorable and I would love one like that).


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